What it really means to be in shape, according to a fitness expert — and how to gauge how fit you are

People often mean a lot of different things when they describe being “in shape” – to some people, it’s the ability to run far or lift heavy weights. For others, it has to do with measurements like body fat percentage. Key components of fitness include aerobic fitness, muscular strength, body composition, power, and flexibility, according to fitness expert Shawn Arent. With training, you can improve on each of these measures. There are plenty of people who can bench press their own bodyweight but would be gasping for breath if they tried to run a 5k. And there are distance runners who can’t do a pull-up or a set of more than a few push-ups. When people talk about trying to get “in shape,” they might mean a lot of different things, according to Shawn Arent, director of the Center for Health and Human Performance at Rutgers University and a fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine. “For some people, they really mean ‘How do I look better?’ For other people, it’s ‘I want to run a marathon, how do I get more aerobically fit?’ For others, it’s ‘I want to be functional in all parts of my life,’” Arent told Business Insider. There are a number of components of fitness, according to Arent, including aerobic fitness, muscular strength, body composition, power, and flexibility. “I would say they’re all important,” he said. Assessing fitness At Rutgers, Arent’s lab can assess fitness both for the general population and for athletes …. [Read full story]